Roll The Tape: Meet The Bears' Super Bowl X Factor; The NFL's Most Underrated WR

The Detroit Lions offered a blueprint on how to beat the best defense in football. The Chicago Bears added one of the best defenders in football. The Cincinnati Bengals boast the best No. 2 receiver in football.

Each week, I dive into the All-22 coaches' film before offering a few insights to watch. Here are three developments that could be long-term storylines involving some of the best teams and players in the NFL.

The Lions outsmarted Brian Flores impenetrable defense with a throwback formation and running game that left the Vikings defensive wizard desperately searching for answers in a pivotal division matchup this past Sunday. 

Using a variation of the Power-I formation that was popularized in the 1960s, the Lions ran for 230 yards, with 164 of those yards coming in the second half. The run-heavy formation put a pair of tight ends in front of star running back Jahmyr Gibbs in the backfield, changing the math for a Vikings defense that typically overwhelms opponents with overload pressures in the form of six-plus defenders aggressively attacking gaps at the line of scrimmage. 

By aligning in an offset formation with the tight ends offset to the right or left of Gibbs, the Lions added two additional gaps to the Vikings run fits while creating a moving target for the defenders assigned to those gaps due to the pre-snap motions and shifts of tight ends Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright and Tyler Conklin. Additionally, the unique positioning of Gibbs and Co. behind the offensive guard and tackle created an unbalanced formation with tight ends putting five or six men on one side of the center. 

While most unbalanced lines are set at the line of scrimmage, forcing the defense to bump over to even up the numbers, the Lions backfield formation and pre-snap movement (shifts or motions) kept the Vikings from aligning properly. With the Lions running a "Duo" blocking scheme (man blocking with select double teams at the line of scrimmage) and tight ends inserting into the line at various spots, the Vikings were outnumbered at the point of attack, creating huge running lanes for Gibbs and backup RB Sione Vaki on downhill plays. 

Although we have watched Rams HC Sean McVay and 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan utilize H-backs, tight ends and wideouts as lead blockers from exotic formations, the Lions clever deployment of their tight ends disrupted the Vikings blitz scheme by adding extra gaps to defend at the point of attack and varying where those gaps occurred on each play. For a team that had sparingly utilized "13" personnel prior to Week 7, the heavy usage (12 times for 81 rush yards; 83.3% success rate) proved to be the perfect solution to the Vikings ultra-aggressive tactics.  

With the Lions seemingly cracking the code on the Vikings aggressive scheme, the rest of the league is scouring the tape to see if they can add a few throwback formations to the call sheet to keep Flores guessing and out of sorts. 

When the Bears acquired defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Titans last week for a pair of first-round picks and a fourth-rounder, the three-time All-Pro figured to bolster his new team with his disruptive potential on the interior. At 6-foot-4, 305 pounds, Simmons is an unstoppable force at the point of attack, playing through double teams and combo blocks with poise and persistence.  

The loquacious defender is also arguably the leagues best trash-talker, with jabbering jaws and a non-stop motor that isn't affected by the scoreboard. Simmons plays each down like the Super Bowl is on the line, and his consistent disruption stems partly from his superior talent and work ethic. He refuses to let double teams slow him down, and his relentlessness shows in his desire to finish at the ball on every play. While most observers focus on his disruptive plays (sacks, tackles for loss and quarterback hits/hurries), it is Simmons consistency down in and down out that really transforms a defense.

Studyi